The Tortured Geisha

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Japanese fashion designer Yohji Yamamoto (b. 1943) made a meaningful statement during the first decade of the twenty-first century:

"The real reason why traditional kimono culture is about to [become] extinct is because of its tendency to aspire to 'perfection' as a style that does not allow any other foreign items to be added to it. My advice for anyone wearing kimono is . . . to challenge this rigidity; let's forget about attending kimono lessons . . . let's just wear [kimono] the way you want to, it's only a kimono (meaning 'material for wearing'), do it your way . . . make it our own style. Be cool." (from "Kimono - A Modern History" by Terry Satsuki Milhaupt.

Another amazing "go to" reference source: "The Book of Kimono" by Norio Yamanaka. An amazing history and reference book available on Amazon. Beautifully written and illustrated with amazing photos.